In the next cold snap, people trying to stay warm at home could suddenly lose both heat and lights. Power in one neighborhood may stay off for an hour or two before flickering back on, while another neighborhood goes dark.
It’s known as a rolling blackout, a controlled power shutoff utilities use to prevent a broader system failure on a strained regional system. The Eugene Water & Electric Board has warned customers that these rotating disconnections could occur as soon as this winter.
Nearly 80% of EWEB’s power comes from the Bonneville Power Administration, where 31 dams on the Columbia River and its tributaries generate electricity from flowing water. But ongoing drought and reduced precipitation have lowered water levels and reduced generating capacity at the dams…